Creative Joy

Document everyday with creativity and joy.

This is my current life motto.

I love to create, inspire, and share.

Adding a piece of art to my everyday life brings me tremendous amounts of comfort and joy.

I may not know where my creative path may take me but I am grateful for the healing pleasures it gives me on a daily basis. 

Drawing, coloring, writing, & even adding sparkles to my art planner. 

I let my allotted time and mood choose my creative activity for the day.

I don't plan or push my creative actions.

I simply let them flow and unload onto paper as I feel inspired.

However, this being said, I am inspired a lot.

Finding time is far more difficult than inspiration. 

Within just about any given day, there is plenty of opportunity to enjoy a creative lifestyle. It make take a bit of creativity and multitasking just to make it work, but it is well worth it.

Over this past year I have spent nearly everyday with pen, pencil, and paper. 

I now have a very wonderful collection of journals, art journals, sketchbooks, and even pretty planners to look through. They are full of inspiring heartfelt moments from each and everyday.

Love spilled directly onto paper.

I encourage anyone with even the smallest amount of curiosity to take the creative jump. 

One little notebook to fill with all your dreams; creates wonderful memories to smile and look through in the future. 

Here's a little freebie to release you creativity on. 

Enjoy coloring and crafting with Joy, but please give me; Anna Stillwell at Cuddlebug Cuties, credit for drawing her, and if you have a moment please feel free to leave a comment letting me know that you stopped by.

 

Joy Cuddlebug Cuties

 

 

Joy Cuddlebug Cuties

Hope everyone has a wonderful joy filled weekend.

Hugs,

Anna

  

Planner Pretties Decorating for a New Season

Valentine's Day has come and gone...

A new season means it's time to redecorate the art planner :)

Truly it's kinda fun changing it with the seasons and holidays.

 Here's a few pictures of the fun so far.

 

Current Bullet To-Do List (still need to change out the Vday goodies)

 

Front Dashboard, Sweet and Simple

Fun Add Ons & Pretty Zip File

Right now I'm going for a romantic, cottage, shabby chic feel.

I want soft, cute, and flowers.

And I'm am falling in love with everything Heidi Swapp.

Her little accessories are so fun to decorate with.

A Few Heidi Swapp Goodies

 Art planners are a wonderful way to release your creativity in your everyday life. A bit of color here, a few happy stickers there; makes a black and white to-do list of chores something to smile about. Any brand of planner is fine; any type of paper is okay. Choose items that motivate you and encourage you not only to get your tasks complete but also to inspire you to enjoy every little thing in each and every day. Even "ick " days are precious, they'll make us stronger for tomorrow; and joyous days, let's document them so that we'll hopefully never forget the awe in each moment.

 

Thanks for stopping by.

I'll have a super adorable digi later this week.

Hugs,

Anna

Creativity

I have found that the best way to achieve unrealistic goals of productivity and creativity at the same time is to put in all on paper.  Carry a little journal or notebook with you everywhere; and when you come up with an amazing idea, pocket it the book for later. 

Throughout any given day, I think of several dozen things that I want to write, create, and do; but usually by midnight I just fall into my bed with all the wonderful ideas lost in the shuffle. By the time a new day starts I can't remember what inspirational little quote moved me so much the day before, what awe inspiring blog topic I wanted to write about, or which of the hundred pins I added to my Pinterest that I wanted to create. Some days it feels like a starting bell rings and I'm running with my coffee in hand just trying to keep up.

Truth be told, I love it. I don't always have time to photograph and scrap all the joyous moments of my life, but I have found little notes and lists help me work with the time I have. I have a nice purse sized book full of inspiration. Scribbled throughout the beautiful parchment papers are lists of blog topics, inspirational quotes, crafty ideas, hopes for the future, and so much more.  All decorated with  quirky sketches and quick doodles.

It's by far not organized enough to be a planner; not elaborate enough to be a handwritten journal; perhaps, it is a very basic art journal.  It carries some of my thoughts and my pretties.
And even though I am going to share pieces of my book here,  I love that overall it is a private piece of work. It's for my eyes and my heart. It doesn't have to be perfect. I don't have to spend hours trying to make my sketches appear the way they do in my head. I don't have to impress anyone. Simply put, it is my little pocket of inspiration. When I am ready to create a piece of art, it will be there waiting to guide me.

Embossed Leather-bound Inspirational Journal

Never give up on your dreams, you have the ability to make them your reality.

Hugs,
Anna

Art Journaling Inspiration

I am truly enjoying the art journaling process. I'm going at it very slowly, almost timid. It seems so odd to me just to throw color at an entire page. There is a small part of me that has this really annoying fear of messing up my page and therefore ruining my entire book. I know it's silly, and a normal part of the artistic process. I guess I'm just used to sketch books where all I use is pencils and erasers. If I'm not happy I just erase and try again. Now I am working on telling myself if I don't like it I'll just paint over it and try again. I'll learn from it, and no matter what I'll enjoy creating because that's really the most important thing. It's more the quality of what you get out of it then the outcome of the piece. It is so very true that the worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt, and worry is completely a misuse of your imagination. 

My goal is to express myself; to know that my work is beautiful just the way it is. Not to look at what it is not, but to focus on what it is. My hope is that I can inspire others. I find so much peace in art and I want to share that feeling with everyone that I can. It would be a dream come true, for someone to tell me someday... that I influenced their work, that they believed they could because I said trying is wonderful, or that they didn't give up because of me.

So, I will look at the blank pages before me with courage.
One day I want to look back at this book and smile because it was a stepping stone in my life.
I had to tip toe at first, but I took that step.
I turned my dreams into my future.
I wasn't discouraged by my problems but instead led by my dreams.
I have found my gift and I rejoice in giving it away; hopeful that others will find their happiness with it, just as I have.

Dear friends,
Today I have a little gift for someone out there.
It's just a little bit of "get you started candy".
I have a limited edition moleskin Micky Mouse journal.
It a perfect size to start with and it's lined to make writing easier but it still has loads of potential to doodle, color, and paint in.
I have include 12 multicolored Foray pens. These pens write beautifully; they are one of my favorite tools.
There is a set of self inked set stamps that will help add little bits of fun to your pages.
And,
A really fun little tote bag to store all your art journaling media in. Making taking your craft on the go easy.

To be included in this candy drawing all you have to do is be a follower of Cuddlebug Cuties and add your name to the link up below.

Everyone is welcome to enter.

 You do not have to post a picture of the candy on your sidebar or do a shout out post to let others know of the goodies, but I'd love it if you do, and I'd be very grateful. I'll throw your name in the drawing hat an extra time if you do.

Good luck everyone.

Hugs,

Anna